Rugby Fever Grips Africa: Springboks-All Blacks Test Creates Buzz!
The Springboks are set for a high-stakes second Test against the All Blacks in Cape Town, seeking redemption after a prior defeat and aiming to keep their series hopes alive. The sold-out match features significant team changes, including Kolbe and Feinberg-Mngomezulu for the Boks, and will celebrate multiple player milestones such as Pieter-Steph du Toit's 100th cap.
Palpable excitement surrounds the Springbok camp this week as they prepare for the highly anticipated second Test against the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series. Following a humbling defeat at Ellis Park, Saturday’s encounter in Cape Town's DHL Stadium presents a crucial shot at redemption for the Springboks. This match is a must-win for the home team to keep their hopes of winning the series alive. The match, which is sold out, kicks off at 17:10 and will be broadcast live on SuperSport, promising an incredible atmosphere with national anthems and the haka setting the tone for a special occasion.
Both teams have made significant changes from the opening encounter. For the Springboks, Cheslin Kolbe and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu have been drafted into the starting lineup, replacing Kurt-Lee Arendse and Handre Pollard. A late change to the match officials sees Angus Gardner from Australia officiating the clash, stepping in after Nika Amashukeli was ruled out due to illness. He will be assisted by Karl Dickson (England) and Sam Grove-White (Scotland) with Brett Cronan (Australia) as TMO and Eric Gauzins (France) as FPRO.
The national anthems, a key part of the pre-match ceremony, will feature popular local singer and songwriter Sasha-Lee Davids performing the South African anthem. Davids, who rose to prominence as a co-winner of Idols SA season five in 2009, has previously performed the anthem for South Africa in 2024 and 2017. The New Zealand anthem will be performed by South African singer-songwriter Ruhan Du Toit, known for his powerful four-octave vocal range. After the anthems, the All Blacks are expected to deliver a rousing rendition of the haka, with Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus expressing his gratitude for the quiet respect shown by supporters at Ellis Park last weekend, calling it a 'pride thing'.
The Springbok starting lineup boasts a record total of 1012 Test caps, the highest ever fielded by South Africa, with 428 caps in the backline and 584 among the forwards. The bench adds a further 204 caps. The average caps per player are 61 in the backline, 73 among the forwards, and 26 for players on the bench. Key player milestones for this match include Pieter-Steph du Toit, who will earn his 100th Test cap, becoming the 11th Springbok to achieve this feat, following Damian de Allende who reached the milestone last weekend. Prop Ox Nche will join the select club of players with 50 Tests, while Eben Etzebeth extends his record as the most capped Springbok to 144 caps. Additionally, Deon Fourie, if he takes the field, will become the oldest Springbok Test player at 39 years old, surpassing Victor Matfield and Schalk Brits. This also marks Fourie’s return since the RWC final against the All Blacks in France, where the Boks famously won 12-11.
Historically, the Springboks have faced New Zealand 111 times, winning 43, losing 64, and drawing 4, with a win percentage of 37.7%. They have scored 1,866 points and 182 tries against the All Blacks' 2,302 points and 253 tries. The last time these two rivals met in Cape Town was in the Rugby Championship in 2024, with the Springboks securing an 18-12 victory. The current Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series marks the first traditional rugby tour by the All Blacks to South Africa since 1996. The Springboks have shown strong recent form against their rivals, winning five of the last seven matches between the teams dating back to August 2023.
The full teams are as follows:
Springboks: 15 Damian Willemse, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Jesse Kriel, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Ethan Hooker, 10 Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Jasper Wiese, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 6 Siya Kolisi (captain), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Eben Etzebeth, 3 Wilco Louw, 2 Malcolm Marx, 1 Ox Nche. Replacements: 16 Deon Fourie, 17 Gerhard Steenekamp, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Lood de Jager, 20 Andre Esterhuizen, 21 Cameron Hanekom, 22 Morne van den Berg, 23 Manie Libbok.
All Blacks: 15 Damian McKenzie, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Quinn Tupaea, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Leroy Carter, 10 Ruben Love, 9 Cam Roigard, 8 Ardie Savea (captain), 7 Luke Jacobson, 6 Simon Parker, 5 Tupou Vaa’i, 4 Fabian Holland, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower. Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Xavier Numia, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Patrick Tuipoluto, 20 Peter Lakai, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Josh Moorby.